Items relating to the crisis surrounding US President Trump's announcement on Dec. 6, 2017, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and announcing the eventual transfer of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Fatah Central Committee Secretary and Head of the PLO Supreme Council for Sport and Youth Affairs Jibril Rajoub: “What American President [Donald Trump] did when he omitted Jerusalem with a single stroke from the final resolution issues provides a recipe for continuation of the war and adds fuel to the fire, and this is inappropriate conduct... The US, led by Trump, is working to cover up for the organized state terror that is being led by a government that includes extremist fanatics, while the actions of murdering and arresting children, destroying homes, and expropriating lands constitute the height of terror, which requires international intervention to restrain its wild behavior... The official, settlement, rabbinic, and Jewish extremism is what feeds the phenomena of extremism in the region, through that which the settlers are committing with the support of the occupation government: arson, murder, expropriation, imprisonment, humiliation, and defilement of the sanctified places in Jerusalem – and especially the incessant invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is thanks to American support and partnership…
The people of Jerusalem – who in July 2017 recorded epics of courage with their bared chests by defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem (refers to riots and terror attacks; see note below –Ed.) – raise their eyes to the young Muslims through you (i.e., participants at the conference) with much hope, faith, and resolution.”
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Headline: “The [PA] government emphasizes its support for the [PA] president’s initiative and holds Washington responsible for the consequences of transferring the embassy to Jerusalem”
“The [PA] government… held the American administration fully responsible for the consequences of transferring the embassy to Jerusalem. It demanded that the international community oppose this declaration and translate this opposition into action – particularly the EU states – by hurrying to recognize the State of Palestine in the 1967 borders whose capital is East Jerusalem…
The government emphasized that the issue of the refugees is the root and heart of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which will only be resolved when a just and agreed upon solution is found for the problem of the refugees, according to UN General Assembly Resolution 194.”

Headline: “The [PA] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates: The transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem is direct aggression towards our people and its rights”
“In a statement yesterday [Feb. 25, 2018], the [PA] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the recent American announcement regarding the transfer of the American embassy to occupied Jerusalem. It viewed this as a provocative declaration and a blow to the sensibilities of the Arabs and Muslims.”Click to view bulletin

US recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel - On Dec. 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and instructed the State Department to begin preparations to transfer the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump added that the final borders of Jerusalem will be determined during negotiations.
On Feb. 23, 2018, the US State Department announced that the US embassy will open in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. The date is the anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence in 1948 according to the Gregorian calendar.

“[PA] Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, preacher at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, [and Palestinian Supreme Fatwa Council Chairman] Sheikh Muhammad Hussein warned against the severity of the American administration’s decision on transferring its embassy to occupied Jerusalem, which was set for Nakba Day (see notes, Ed.). He said that this testifies to the insolence that those who are biased in favor of the occupation have reached, while they continue to do an injustice to our people and its holy sites and to blatantly harm the Palestinian cause in an attempt to eliminate it. The mufti emphasized that this arbitrary behavior will have severe consequences that the American administration will bear. He explained that the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem, if it is carried out, will not be an attack on the Palestinians alone, but rather a blatant attack on the Arabs and Muslims throughout the world…and that it will not serve peace and security in the region, but rather bring upon it disasters of wars, anarchy, and instability. Sheikh Hussein added that the residents of Jerusalem and all of the Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims will not submit to this blatant attack, and will sacrifice all that is dear to them in order to confront the American stubbornness.”Click to view bulletin
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Excerpt of an op-ed by Muwaffaq Matar, Fatah Revolutionary Council member and regular columnist for the official PA daily

Headline: “Washington is the first loser”
“We will do no injustice to American President Donald Trump if we say that his political decisions, and particularly those that are connected to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, stem from a complex, impulsive, unbalanced, and mentally unstable personality, and in our opinion these are the main characteristics of the racist personality.
Trump is proving that he is not only aggressive, rude, and controlling, but that he is a combination of a mentality of theft and of a denial of the rights of others, and these are exactly the characteristics of the Zionist personality....”Click to view bulletin
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Headline: “A new aggression: America chooses Nakba Day to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem”
“Official [PA] Presidential Spokesman [and Fatah Central Committee member] Nabil Abu Rudeina said in response to the US decision to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem in May [2018] that any unilateral step will not contribute to establishing peace and will not legitimize anyone…
PLO Executive Committee Secretary, [Fatah Central Committee member, and PLO Chief Negotiator] Saeb Erekat said: ‘The American administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to choose the date of Nakba Day (i.e., “the catastrophe,” Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel) of the Palestinian people (the US embassy in Jerusalem is set to open on May 14, 2018, on the anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence according to the Gregorian calendar, Palestinians mark Nakba Day on May 15. -Ed.) to take this step constitutes an arbitrary violation of international law… and the continuing destruction of the two-state solution. The choice of this date constitutes a provocation of the sensibilities of all the Arabs and Muslims, something which we most adamantly condemn.’’”Click to view bulletin
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Official PA TV News, on the Palestinian National Council’s response to the decision of US President Donald Trump’s administration to transfer the US embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, 2018, on the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence

Official PA TV newsreader: “The Palestinian National Council (i.e., the legislative body of the PLO) considered the American administration’s declaration on the execution of its decision to transfer its embassy to occupied Jerusalem as blatant defiance towards the international, Arab, and Islamic will, and as an intensification of the aggression towards the rights of our people. The Council emphasized that the American administration’s insistence on carrying out the aggressive decision proves again that it has chosen isolation and to distance itself from peace in favor of the occupation, and has made it responsible for the consequences of this. The Council demanded that the Arab and Islamic nation defend Jerusalem and its holy sites, and harness their full abilities and connections in order to prevent the execution of this decision…
[The Council] pointed out that the transfer of the embassy at the same time as the anniversary of the Nakba (i.e., “the catastrophe,” Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel. The US embassy is set to open on May 14, the anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence. Palestinians mark Nakba Day on May 15 -Ed.) was meant to add to the contempt for the national sensibilities of our people who are confronting the occupation’s terror and its settlers.”Click to view bulletin
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Official PA TV News, on the US moving its embassy to Jerusalem in May and how it is endangering the Middle East, hosting PLO Executive Committee Secretary, Fatah Central Committee member, and PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat

PLO Executive Committee Secretary, Fatah Central Committee member, and PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat: “The states have understood that [US] President [Donald] Trump’s administration is threatening the interests, threatening the international security, peace, and stability. This is the truth. Therefore our next steps, particularly when we will have a conference held in Riyadh- it’s impossible that we as the Palestinian side will allow the situation to continue as it is. We are part of this region. Our children and grandchildren are an inseparable part of this region’s security and stability for the coming generations. We have no choice but to conduct a true self-examination so that we’ll be able to stand against this danger. This administration constitutes a true danger to the security, stability, and integrity of this region and of its peoples, in the full sense of the word.”
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This transcript of PA Chairman Abbas' speech before the UN Security Council on Feb. 20, 2018 was published by Wafa, the official Palestinian Authority news agency, on Feb. 20, 2018.

"Seventy years have passed since Palestine’s Nakba, from which 6 million Palestine refugees continue to suffer from the cruelty of exile and loss of human security. They continue to wander the world after the loss of their peaceful and stable lives in their homeland. They are part of the 13 million Palestinians, whose country has not yet been recognized as full Member State of the United Nations, despite the numerous resolutions reaffirming their right to self-determination and statehood on their national land.
We are the descendants of the Canaanites that lived in the land of Palestine 5,000 years ago and continuously remained there to this day. Our great people remain rooted in their land. The Palestinian people built their own cities and homeland and made contributions to humanity and civilization witnessed by the world. They established institutions, schools, hospitals, cultural organizations, theaters, libraries, newspapers, publishing houses, economic organizations, businesses and banks, with wide regional and international influence.
All of this existed before and after the Balfour Declaration issued by the British Government in 1917, a declaration by which those who did not own, giving to those who had no right. The British Government bears responsibility for the catastrophic consequences inflicted on the Palestinian people as a result..."
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Official PA TV program Pulse of the Fields, hosting Fatah Central Committee Secretary and Head of the PLO Supreme Council for Sport and Youth Affairs Jibril Rajoub

Fatah Central Committee Secretary and Head of the PLO Supreme Council for Sport and Youth Affairs Jibril Rajoub: “We think that Jerusalem is a holy city for all of the religions, because all of the monotheistic religions were given in Jerusalem. But we have not agreed, and will not agree, and will not allow there to be sovereignty for the Israeli occupation there or sovereignty for the Jewish religion, which we recognize, because there is no such thing as the capital city of the Jews (previously Rajoub said there would be Jewish sovereignty at the Western Wall; see note below –Ed.). There is no religion that has a capital city, other than in the logic of [US President Donald] Trump (sic., one such example is the Vatican; comment refers to Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital)…
There will only be security, peace, and stability after the return of Jerusalem to its owners, and when Jerusalem will be open to all of the monotheistic religions for ritual purposes, and not as part of the Zionist colonialist project, which is exploiting religion in order to justify its massacres and the terror that it is committing against the Palestinian people.”
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Headline: “‘Dalal Mughrabi’ became the sister of triplets Jerusalem, Capital, and Palestine today”
“A citizen from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip named his triplets Jerusalem, Capital, and Palestine, in response to the American decision to consider Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, according to the AFP agency…
The couple already has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter named Dalal after self-sacrificing fighter (Fida’iya) Dalal Mughrabi (i.e., terrorist who led murder of 37, 12 of them children), who together with a group of self-sacrificing fighters (Fedayeen) from the Fatah Movement took part in an attack that led to the deaths of Israelis four decades ago.”Click to view bulletin
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The cartoon shows US President Donald Trump as a victorious Roman gladiator – dressed in a roman toga and sandals. He is holding a sword with a dollar sign on its hilt, and a wreath around his head, transferred there from the UN logo below his foot, which is missing its wreath. He has one foot on the UN logo, which is also used by UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) – which provides support to Palestinian “refugees.” This refers to the US notifying UNRWA on Jan.16, 2018, that it was withholding $65 million of a planned $125 million funding installment.

“The [PA] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates emphasized that American Vice President Mike Pence’s speech [to the Israeli Parliament] is a missionary speech that came from the mouth of a religious preacher who is closely connected to Zionism and saturated with ideological terms full of racism and hatred of the other…
The ministry said that Pence represents Zionist Christianity and the missionary Evangelical Church that believes in Jesus’ return, and thinks that his return will only be realized under the sovereignty of the State of Israel whose capital is Jerusalem. This missionary Messianic logic is what stands behind [US] President [Donald] Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the State of Israel’s capital, because the conservative Christian stream that Pence represents thinks that this will hasten Jesus’ return.”

US recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel - On Dec. 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and instructed the State Department to begin preparations to transfer the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump added that the final borders of Jerusalem will be determined during negotiations.

Posted text and text on image:
“Jerusalem, our eternal capital,
is more precious than you, your accounts, and your money”

The image shows US President Donald Trump, and refers together with the text to aid to the PA that Trump has threatened to cut if the PA does not return to negotiations with Israel, and to the US freezing two planned payments to UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) for more than $100 million in early January 2018.

On Jan. 25, 2018, US President Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. During it Trump said that the US would stop providing financial aid to the PA if they did not return to negotiations with Israel. Trump also said: "We took Jerusalem off the table,” and when asked by a reporter whether Jerusalem being “off the table" meant that none of it would be part of a future Palestinian state, Trump refused to elaborate, responding: "Next question."

Posted text:
“Mr. [US President Donald] Trump, Jerusalem is a red line
[Spokesman for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah Central Committee member
Nabil] Abu Rudeina: ‘If Jerusalem is not on the table, the US will also not be on the table’”

The image shows US President Donald Trump and a boy to his left shouting with such force that Trump’s hair is flying. The Dome of the Rock is seen behind the boy. The image refers to Trump saying on Jan. 25, 2018, that he took Jerusalem “off the table” by recognizing it as Israel’s capital; see note below.

Text on image: “Jerusalem is a red line”

On Jan. 25, 2018, US President Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Trump told Netanyahu: "We took Jerusalem off the table.” When asked by a reporter whether Jerusalem being “off the table" meant that none of it would be part of a future Palestinian state, Trump refused to elaborate, responding: "Next question." Trump also said that the US would stop providing financial aid to the PA if they did not return to negotiations with Israel.

Headline: “Muhaisen: The activities of rage will continue”
“Fatah Movement Commissioner of Mobilization and Organization [in the West Bank, Fatah] Central Committee member, [and PLO Central Council member] Jamal Muhaisen said that the activities of rage against US President Donald Trump’s decision on Jerusalem [declaring it Israel’s capital], and against the unwanted visit of his Vice President Mike Pence will continue in all of the districts…
Muhaisen emphasized that ‘the various national activities and their continuation are part of the Palestinian struggle to end the occupation, because in his latest declaration Trump put an end to America’s role as any sort of a mediator in the political process.’”Click to view bulletin

US recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel - On Dec. 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and instructed the State Department to begin preparations to transfer the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump added that the final borders of Jerusalem will be determined during negotiations.

Excerpt of an op-ed by Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, regular columnist for the official PA daily

Headline: "Pence the pirate"

"US Vice President Evangelist Mike Pence concluded his visit to the states of the region with a visit to the Israeli colonialist state on Sunday evening [Jan. 21, 2018]…
From an examination of the aspects of the visit, including the statements and the despicable American speech in the Israeli Parliament, it can be seen that Pence is from among the most right-wing and Zionist ruling group in the administration of [US President Donald] Trump, and he surpasses the Zionist Jews [Trump's Senior Advisor Jared] Kushner, [US Ambassador to Israel David] Friedman, and [Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason] Greenblatt in his coordination and solidarity with the policies and actions of the extremist right-wing coalition that rules in Israel. In this criminal act, he not only contradicts the policies of the previous American administrations, but also the decisions of the international bodies and the sources of authority of the peace process. This is not just due to colonialist economic and financial motives to serve the American businesses and interests, but also in order to incite winds of war and death among the peoples and states of the region in order to hasten the arrival of Armageddon as a prelude to the appearance of Jesus.

Headline: “Al-Aloul: The US became a partner of the Israeli occupation after it recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital”

“Al-Quds magazine met with Fatah Movement Central Committee member and Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul ‘Abu Jihad’ so that he could brief us on the recent developments in the current issues.

[Q:] ‘How do you assess the Palestinian political situation after [US President Donald] Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as "Israel's" capital?’

[Mahmoud Al-Aloul:] ‘Trump’s declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is a good opportunity for us to disconnect from the US, as we no longer have the least doubt that nothing good will come to the Palestinian people and the Arab nation from the US. After this step that it has taken, it is no longer [just] biased in favor of the Israeli occupation as we knew in the past, but rather it currently constitutes a partner to the occupation. Whoever looks at the relations with the US through all of the American administrations will find that we have nothing to lose, as they have not given us a thing. They have always made promises during elections and the presidential inauguration that have quickly dissipated due to the pressures of the Zionist lobby’…

Headline: “The US vice president was witness to the expulsion of the Arab members of the Israeli Parliament from the Israeli Parliament, and bragged that the [US] embassy will be transferred to Jerusalem by the end of 2019 – Erekat: Pence’s racist attack at the Israeli Parliament is a gift to the extremists, the US is part of the problem”

“Secretary of the PLO Executive Committee, [Fatah Central Committee member, and PLO Chief Negotiator] Saeb Erekat yesterday [Jan. 22, 2018] criticized the speech that US Vice President Mike Pence gave before the Israeli Parliament. He described it as ‘a crusade’ that constitutes ‘a gift to the extremists.’ Erekat said that the attack that Pence led in the Israeli Parliament… proved that the American administration is part of the problem and not part of the solution. He added that Pence’s message is clear: Violate the law and international decisions, and the US will reward you.”Click to view bulletin

During US Vice President Mike Pence’s speech before the Israeli Parliament on Jan. 22, 2018, the Arab members of the Israeli Parliament disrupted his speech by waving posters showing a picture of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Dome of the Rock with the following text in English and Arabic: “Jerusalem is The Capital of Palestine.” They were quickly removed from the plenum.